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Winemaker's Notes

This 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex and layered expression of California Cabernet. The wine has a dark garnet color and is bursting with fruit even as it is poured. It has a nose of cassis, violets, licorice, allspice and roasting coffee. On the palate, it has an extraordinarily rich attack, a satin texture and an exuberant expression of fruit on the mid-palate that comes from picking grapes at the peak of their ripeness. The wine finishes with notions of savory umami, and fruit with a medium tannic grip. Given proper cellaring, this wine should give drinking pleasure through 2032.

Critical Acclaim

WE91

Wine Enthusiast - "It's easy to see why Silver Oak remains so popular with the restaurant crowd. It's made in a more restrained style than many other Napa Cabs. There's plenty of berry and currant fruit as well as oak, but it's accompanied by tobacco and herbs that give the wine an earthiness. What the wine lacks in dazzle it more than makes up for in elegance and subtlety. Cellar Selection."

Silver Oak Napa Valley Winery

Silver Oak Cellars was started in 1972 with a simple driving philosphy - to focus production on only one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. What's more, they resolved to create a wine with a style all its own: not another hard, tannic red wine requiring years of aging to enjoy, but a wine of fully developed flavors and a velvety soft texture on the day it is released for sale.

Silver Oak Cellars produces Cabernet Sauvignon from two appellations. Their Napa Valley derives its fruit from both owned and contracted vineyards, and is produced entirely at their Oakville winery. Beginning in 1994, small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot have been included in their Napa blend to add complexity and softness.

Silver Oak also produces stellar Cabernet from their Alexander Valley vineyards. A critical reason for the success of this wine, and every wine they make, has always been that they create the final blend before aging it in American oak barrels and then bottles. Over the course of four-and-a-half years, the wine’s flavors, aromas, and textures have an opportunity to meld with one another and the wood’s delicate qualities to create the kind of graceful cohesion found only in the world's most elegant wines.
View all Silver Oak Napa Valley Wines

About Napa Valley

It's hard not to think of Napa Valley when thinking of California wines. The region is, after all, the one that brought world recognition to California wine making. The area was settled by a few choice wine families in the 1960's who bet that the wines of the area would grow and flourish. They were right. The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980's, when vineyard lands were scooped up and vines were planted throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, from large conglomerates to small boutiques to cult classics. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux Blends. Whites are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Notable Facts

Within the Napa Valley lie smaller sub-AVAs that lend even more character specifics to the wines. Furthest south is Carneros, followed by Yountville, Oakville & Rutherford. Above those two is St.-Helena and finally, just grated an AVA, Calistoga. These areas are situated on the valley floor and are known for creating rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. There are a few mountain regions as well, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs. Those include Howell Mountain, Stags Leap and Mount Veeder. Wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from more time in the bottle to evolve and soften.

About California

It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. It produces a diverse range of wines that span the quality spectrum.

The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but it's not as broad and diverse as its larger neighbor, Sonoma County. Down south, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is well-known for its Rhône blends, as well as cool-climate varieties like Pinot and Chardonnay. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.

4 ratings, 2 with reviews

Have not had this vintage but would suggest that it be aged substantially based on my experience with the 2001 Napa Valley Silver Oak. Bought 3 bottles and was thoroughly unimpressed and depressed after sampling the first shortly after purchasing. After reading reviews and tasting notes, we waited 10 years to try the second bottle...vastly better: fuller and deeper flavor. If you don't want to wait, I'd suggest the Alexander Valley Silver Oak. It also improves with aging but it is much better young than the Napa Valley, in my opinion at least.

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Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Fruity

Red wines that are more fruit-forward and lighter in tannin and body.

Smooth & Supple

Medium bodied reds that go down easy, with smooth tannins and supple fruit.